Christopher R. Long
This book was written to tell the eleven-year story of how one of the largest mass prayers in history was added to the World War II Memorial. The D-Day Prayer was one of FDR’s fireside chats, but it stands alone as an incredible moment in American history. The date was June 6th, 1944. Operation Overlord, the D-Day invasion of western France, was already underway by the Allied nations. News reports throughout the day were released from General Eisenhower’s headquarters with short statements, but with few details of what was happening with the landings and on the beaches of France. The American public anxiously awaited throughout the day to hear from President Roosevelt for more details on the historic invasion. What they heard that evening was a president inviting them to join him in prayer. This book tells the story of how this wonderful historic presidential prayer was added to the National Mall in Washington as a permanent addition to an already magnificent monument that was dedicated in the honor and for the memory of the Greatest Generation, the 16 million Americans who served us in World War II.
